WA AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS TOP A$6 BILLION

New figures show that Western Australia exported a record A$6 billion worth of food and agricultural commodities in the last financial year. Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman said growing demand for WA products from Asia and the Middle East had seen exports easily exceed the previous year’s record A$4.7 billion, even in the face of the financial crisis.

“The value of our agrifood exports grew 28 per cent in 2008-09. This is a real testament to the strength of our industries and their willingness to chase these new markets,” Mr Redman said. “Up to 90 per cent of what we produce annually is exported and these figures show that the world is keen to buy more and more of the food and crops that we produce. WA has less than 10 per cent of Australia’s farms, but we produce nearly 20 per cent of Australia’s total agriculture and food exports.”

To support businesses looking to step into exporting or expanding their existing export markets, the Department of Agriculture and Food is looking at different ways to assist industry and remove trade barriers.